The present invention generally relates to providing help information to computer users. More particularly, the present invention relates to an interactive tooltip capable of providing help and editing functions to a user.
Spreadsheets like Microsoft Excel (manufactured and marketed by the Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash.) typically have hundreds of spreadsheet functions for performing various, predefined operations on data. Each worksheet function typically has one or more arguments. Spreadsheet usability studies indicate that it is difficult for users to memorize every function""s argument set. Even for functions that are used frequently, it is difficult for users to remember the type and order of the required arguments.
Currently, users resort to accessing existing help facilities to determine information about argument names and proper argument order, consuming the user""s time and effort. For example, if a user wishes to invoke a particular function, but does not remember the arguments required to properly invoke the function, the user must refer to a help facility to find this information. In this case, the user may stop editing the formula in the spreadsheet application and open a help facility to determine the appropriate argument set. The user may then write down the argument set and then switch back to the spreadsheet application to enter the formula, referring to his written note. This process can become very tedious when a user""s spreadsheet invokes a large number of functions.
Another approach to providing a user with information about argument names and proper argument order involves the use of a function xe2x80x9cwizard.xe2x80x9d The conventional function wizard provides a series of dialog boxes that step a user through the selection of a function and through the matching of the applicable arguments to spreadsheet cells. Unfortunately, this process can also be tedious, because it involves working in a wizard dialog box separate from the spreadsheet itself.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a help facility to provide information about a function in close proximity to the function being entered or edited, such that a user need not switch away from making edits within the spreadsheet application to obtain help information. The help facility should provide the function""s argument set and the proper argument ordering within the set. The help facility should also operate to enable the display of more comprehensive help information regarding the function, should additional information be requested by the user. Finally, the help facility should enhance the user""s ability to create, select, and edit arguments within a function.
The present invention meets the above-described needs by providing an interactive tooltip for a user editing a function within a spreadsheet formula. Although tooltips are not new, the present invention integrates HTML-like interactivity with a conventional tooltip to provide a new interface for working with the associated data. The interactivity of the tooltip provides additional levels of help or documentation when requested and provides additional editing navigation functionality within the associated data. Additionally, unlike conventional tooltips that are displayed in response to a determination that the mouse cursor is positioned over an element of the user interface, the interactive tooltip of the present invention is displayed in response to a determination that the user is performing a particular type of editing action.
The present invention provides a tooltip in close proximity to the associated data, while the associated data is being edited. In the case of a spreadsheet, a tooltip will be provided when tie user begins editing a function within a spreadsheet cell. The help facility of the present invention recognizes that the user has begun entering a function, when the user has entered an equals sign (identifying a formula), a known function name, and an open (left) parenthesis (indicating the beginning of an argument set). The help facility then references a function database and determines the required argument set. The help facility renders the function name and argument set in an HTML-like text. Finally, the help facility displays the HTML-like text to the user next to the point at which the user is editing the spreadsheet function.
One aspect of the invention is a method for providing an interactive tooltip. The method includes receiving an indication that a function is being entered in an editing location and recognizing an entered function name. Tooltip information associated with the recognized function name is retrieved and the tooltip information is displayed in a display location proximate to the editing location. The tooltip information includes a function name and an argument name, the function name provides a link to a function name help topic, while the argument name provides a selection tool to select a portion of the editing location corresponding to the argument name.
In another aspect of the invention, an interactive tooltip is provided. The interactive tooltip is associated with data and includes a first text string and a second text string. The first text string provides a link to help information corresponding to the associated data. The second text string operates as a selection tool for selecting a portion of the associated data. The first text string and the second text string are displayed in proximity to the associated data.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a spreadsheet help facility is provided as a component of a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device. The spreadsheet help facility has a function database, a recognizer component, and two rendering components. The function database stores a function name text string, an argument name text string associated with the function name text string, a first link associated with the function name text string, and a second link associated with the function name text string. The recognizer component recognizes the entry of the function name and retrieves the function name, the argument name, the first link, and the second link from the function database. The first rendering component matches the function name text string to the first link and matches the argument name text string to a second link. The second rendering component for displays a tooltip including the function text string and the argument text string. By selecting the function text string with the user interface selection device, a help topic identified by the first link is displayed. By selecting the argument text string with the user interface selection device, a portion of the entered function name is selected.